


Paint Me A Dark Blue Sky

by Raycifer



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Fake AH Crew, Gavin's a mess basically, Gavin-centric, he's alright though it's all good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 20:17:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raycifer/pseuds/Raycifer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gavin wears the mask, it’s easy for him to push the danger and risk of his life off and get on with the job; but when it falls, so does he.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paint Me A Dark Blue Sky

Gavin wears a metaphorical mask of gold and glitter.

He weaves his self doubt and nightmares on his cheek, engraves his lost childhood and innocence above his brow bone, carves his pride and his spite on his chin. He keeps it on for as long as he can, not allowing himself any respite from the horrors the mask holds for fear that he might lose sight of his goals. He needs to be the best, he tells himself. He needs to strive for more, more power, more fame, more recognition. He will not fade away, he refuses to let himself burn out so he stores his emotions away to deal with later, and becomes the Fake AH Crew's golden boy. He holds his head high, a smile pinned by the mask and clever eyes shining with mirth, hands playing with the golden gun that never left his side. Gold for a boy who shines like the sun - how fitting.

When Gavin’s mask is on, he is the caricature of royalty. The golden boy with the whole city at his feet, a crew who would die for him and all the power he could possibly desire. He has built his own empire out of nothing, inscribed his name into the history books and burnt his memories into the city. He is feared by the people, who flinch and beg and scream and Gavin feeds off of their pain and horror, allows it to fuel him. The shining front man with a smile as dangerous as the barrel of his gun, who knows how to manipulate and control everyone around him to get what he wants. And he is beautiful in all his glory, his light hair dancing in the wind as he leans out of the side of a car racing down the motorway, his head thrown back in amusement at the chaos he leaves in his trail. 

Gavin changes when he takes his mask off.  
Often, he crumbles into pieces, the pressure and stress, the regret and misfortune. It all hits him at once, full speed, and he is helpless to do anything but wait it out. He closes the blinds, crawls under his sheets and hides from the world that wants him dead. From his childhood, spent hidden away and in perpetual fear of the man who was supposed to love him, to his slow, bloody crawl to the top. Even now, the guns that train their aim on him during hits, all the people who have held a knife to his exposed neck or a gun to his head, the close calls, the endless, endless blood - it hurts him. When he wears the mask, it’s easy for him to push it off and get on with the job; but when it falls, so does he. He spirals down into the darkness, like Icarus, and sometimes he can't pull himself back out. His fingers are bleeding and his heart is pounding and he hurts so badly. So he lies there, and allows his sadness to take over his body.

His crew pulls him back together.  
It starts with Geoff, who pulls him out of bed and shoves a mug of tea into his hands with gruff words of comfort, running his fingers through his hair. Then Jack, who sits next to him and holds him close, allowing Gavin to talk or cry if he wants, never once judging or minding the smudges on her shirt afterwards. Michael, who never treats Gavin like he’s broken, who will be just as rough as usually with a softness in his eyes which is reserved only for him. Ryan awkwardly buys Gavin a new car, smiling at the glee that passes his face when he shows Gavin. Jeremy, with his shitty puns and endless supply of love, is the last push needed for Gavin to gather the broken pieces of himself and hold his head high once again.

Gavin, in all his fractured, golden beauty, sits on his perch at the top of the tallest building in Los Santos with his boys, watching their disaster of their city and thinking about how his life has changed. He watches as Michael and Jeremy empty their guns into the dark blue sky, observes Jack and Geoff, their feet swinging off the building and happy smiles on their faces, looks at Ryan reading a book cross legged on the edge. He realises how happy he is, and grins.


End file.
